


Origin

by englishmuff



Series: MegaSix [1]
Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Not Reincarnation, i thought it sounded cool in my head and here we are, im actually writing stuff, nonbinary parr, superhero au, surprise suckers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:33:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23511655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/englishmuff/pseuds/englishmuff
Summary: so basically, aragon, jane, anna, and cathy are heros that protect london. all of a sudden theres a new villain? and it coincides with the arrival of 2 cousins with a secret past? weird, huh.
Series: MegaSix [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1691761
Comments: 52
Kudos: 147





	1. Aragon

**Author's Note:**

> below i have each queen with their superpower, and superhero name, if need be. enjoy!  
> Aragon - can summon shields, - forte  
> Anne - shapeshifting  
> Jane - can heal everyone except herself- stoneheart  
> Cleves - superspeed- snap   
> Katherine - can make people feel things and feel things others feel through skin contact  
> Parr - invisibility - eclipse

Ever since they met each other, Catherine Aragon, Jane Seymour, Anna Cleves, and Catherine Parr protected London. How they met each other is a story for another time, but every night they donned their hero identities and fought to protect London. About a year ago, they moved into a small house with each other, already knowing the humans beneath the glitz and glamour of being a superhero. They had fallen into a routine until one early summer day…

“Yo Aragon!”  
Catherine looked up from her book and said,  
“What is it, Anna?”  
Anna’s head popped out from around the corner.  
“We’re really running low on money. Like, really low.”  
Jane then walked in, setting a plate of freshly baked cookies on the table.  
“This is true, however,” she said, watching Anna steal the entire plate, “you really could live without so many outfits.”  
Anna pouted, which was probably hard with a face full of cookies, but she managed to do so while saying,  
“I need to look fabulous! Anyway, we can just get Cathy to write some more.”

Catherine sighed. Their only source of real income was on Cathy, and their job at a local newspaper. Anna could never keep a job, Jane was like a stay-at-home mom, and Catherine had enough to do as the unofficial handler of the four when they shed their civilian identities and became Forte, Stoneheart, Snap, and Eclipse. Of course Anna’s social media presence helped, but money wasn’t rolling in from Instagram. 

Cathy walked into the living room, interrupting Catherine’s thoughts, shadows under their eyes. They grabbed a cookie from Anna, ignoring her protests, and plopped down on the couch next to Catherine. Jane took one look and asked them,  
“How much sleep did you get? You look exhausted!”

Cathy pulled out a mug of coffee from seemingly nowhere and shrugged. Knowing better than to talk to them when they were still barely awake, everyone turned their attention back to Anna, who was saying,  
“Yeah, so we’re running really low on moo-lah. I could just ask my ex, but-”  
The other three in the room all shouted, “NO!” at the same time.  
Anna shook her head.  
“We actually get along alright, and he’s willing to give me money if I need it, just saying.”  
Jane calmly said,  
“Hon, we don’t need to ask your ex for money, because we can come up with money on our own, right?”  
Cathy and Catherine nodded.

Cathy finally spoke, saying,   
“We can come up with ways for more income on patrol tonight. I gotta finish writing an article, so I’ll be in my room if you need me.”  
They went to their room, leaving Anna to ask Jane,  
“What’s the groceries for today?”  
Jane gave Anna a list and Anna left for the store. Catherine went to check on suits for the long night ahead of them.  
\----------------------------  
Six o’clock rolled around and each hero got ready for patrol. Catherine’s gold dress-like suit was getting a couple patches from last night’s battle. Jane’s armor was getting some more polishes before going out for the night, and her sword was getting sharpened. Anna’s energizing red suit was getting paired with a cute jacket that Anna had bought last year, but never had the chance to wear. Cathy’s deep blue suit was still sitting on the hanger, because they had gotten so caught up in their writing, they forgot the time. 

Catherine knocked on Cathy’s door gently, saying,  
“It’s six, babes. Time to get ready.”  
Before long, the four of them were ready to take on whatever London had in store.  
Patrol started off pretty normal. Jane caught a couple of muggers. Anna had her nightly race with the local motorcycle gang (she won, again). Catherine was monitoring them all on a headset while doing patrols of her own. 

But then, Cathy’s voice came in her ear, slightly panicked.  
“You guys are gonna wanna get over where I am, and soon.”  
They gave their spot, and the other three rushed over to find Cathy in a battle with a large snake. Slightly unusual, but they all went to work. However, soon the snake shifted into a dragon. They all regrouped for a second.  
“Hey Cathy- uh, Eclipse?” Anna said, slightly out of breath, “What the hell is that?”  
Jane said,  
“Probably a shapeshifter of some kind,” just as Cathy said,  
“A dragon.”  
Catherine put up a shield with a satisfying pop as the dragon came closer to the group.   
“First of all, Snap. Language.”  
Anna rolled her eyes, saying,  
“I think we have bigger problems right now, Forte.”  
Catherine ignored her and addressed the group.  
“Look, Snap, just make it dizzy. Stoneheart, come with me. Eclipse… see if you can get any readings.”

Catherine took Jane around as the dragon whirled in a circle, trying to catch Anna in its talons before shifting again, this time to a small human, with a suit and mask that was a shimmering green. Cathy flickered back into sight and the four were waiting on the shapeshifter to do something. 

“Call me Façade,” said the green-clad woman, probably pretty young judging by her voice.  
“Well, Façade,” Catherine snarled, “we don’t take kindly to people threatening our city.”  
Façade giggled.  
“You must be the mighty Forte. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of hurting your precious London. I just want to have some fun, especially with you guys, and-”  
A whistle pierced the air. Façade was momentarily shaken, but recovered so quickly Catherine thought she might have imagined it.

“Sorry guys, that's my cue to leave.” She turned into a bird and flew away, but stopped on a nearby roof. Shifting back into a human, she said,  
“That was a good time. Same time tomorrow night?” She flew off without waiting for a response.  
\--------------------------------------  
They didn’t have time to talk about the encounter with Façade until Cathy and Catherine met up right before patrol ended. Nothing too eventful had happened since. As they were walking back through the woods by the house, as to not raise suspicion, Catherine said,  
“Façade, huh? She seems like she might stick around for awhile.”  
Cathy sighed and said,  
“Yeah, this kid is gonna be a blast to fight with.”

Anna snuck up behind the two quickly, which was pretty easy given her superspeed, and scared the pair, causing Catherine to pop up a shield and Cathy to go invisible immediately. Anna doubled over laughing, but quietly, so the neighbors wouldn't be disturbed.  
“Catherine! Your face was priceless! I’ll bet yours was too, Cath, but you know…” she laughed again, causing a couple birds to choose a new tree. Cathy came back into view with an annoyed expression. Before they could say anything to reprimand Anna however, Jane’s voice came on their headsets.

“Hey guys! None of you need excessive healing, right?”  
Catherine quickly checked herself and Cathy and Anna before replying,  
“No, what’s up?”  
Jane said, “I just found a pair of girls, one’s having a pretty bad panic attack, and they seem to be homeless. Can I change into normal wear and take them home, at least for a night?”  
Catherine, Cathy, and Anna groaned softly. Jane’s heart was too good, and she couldn’t say no to homeless girls. After a brief internal debate, Catherine said,  
“Of course, Jane. We’ll get changed and hide our costumes and hero stuff. We can figure out arrangements later.”

She could practically hear Jane smiling through the headset.  
“Thanks, Catherine. I’ll be there in a little less than an hour. The girls are a little bit away, and the one panicking refuses to be touched, so we’ll have to coach her to the house. See you soon!”  
Catherine, Anna, and Cathy shook their heads good-naturedly, and headed back toward the house, taking extra caution to hide any remnants of their super lives.


	2. Anne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its anne time! i got a lot in store for this au, stay tuned!  
> Aragon - can summon shields, - forte  
> Anne - shapeshifting- façade  
> Jane - can heal everyone except herself- stoneheart  
> Cleves - superspeed- snap   
> Katherine - can make people feel things and feel things others feel through skin contact  
> Parr - invisibility - eclipse

Anne had seen Kat have panic attacks before, but every gasping sob hurt her as much as it did Kat. When she heard the whistle from a couple blocks away, she knew she had to get out of the fight ASAP. A small black whistle each girl carried around their neck was the cousins’ way of signaling when they needed help, and luckily, Anne had gotten to Kat in time to help her breathe out the horrible memories and breathe in the opportunity they had to get away, now living free in London. 

Kat was starting to calm down when who came along but Stoneheart, finishing patrol, it looked like. Luckily, when she finished fighting with the four supers of London, Anne had changed out of her costume and into normal clothes via shapeshifting. Anne and Kat were sitting on a bench along the road, so it wasn’t like they were hard to find, but they certainly weren’t hoping for anyone to come along, especially not a ‘hero’ that Anne had been fighting just half an hour earlier. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the supers protecting the city, they just had a bit of an ego after being unopposed for far too long. And Anne always had too much energy, it was only natural she pick a fight with the strongest forces in all of London, for fun. Kat had even expressed a desire to help her in these endeavors. Luckily, Stoneheart didn’t stay long, instead saying she would send someone to help. 

Anne continued murmuring reassurances to Kat until a woman came, and said something along the lines of,  
“Stoneheart sent me, how are you doing, babe?”  
Anne immediately went into protective mode, assessing the woman for any possible threat. She sent to want to genuinely help though, and Anne said cautiously,  
“She’s had a pretty rough past, and we just moved here. Well, moved isn’t the right word, she got, um, kicked out, and no way was I gonna let my baby cousin be all alone, so they kicked me out too.” 

Anne was afraid she’d said too much, but the woman didn’t seem to think they were as repulsive as their family believed. Anne still kept her mouth shut, usually a challenge, but in moments of seriousness, she could do it. The woman was now doing some breathing rhythms with Kat, and once Kat was reaching normalcy, she addressed them both.  
“My name is Jane Seymour. I live with 3 others. Is it okay if you come home with me, for as long as you need?”

Then, Kat did something she only did when she was running out of ideas. She very carefully placed a finger onto Jane’s hand, and very briefly. Anne knew she was testing to see if Jane was lying or seriously wanted to help, but didn’t want to extend her panic to Jane. It seemed to work, and Jane didn’t seem to question the odd gesture. Kat shakily said,  
“Let’s go.”  
\----------------------------------------  
As Jane led the cousins to a small house in a quaint little neighborhood, Anne offered her hand to Kat, as an invitation to chat without Jane knowing. Kat hesitated before taking Anne’s hand on hers, and Anne prepared herself for the onslaught of emotions that usually came with touching Kat, but very few actually came. Anne assumed it was from the emptiness that came with having a panic attack. 

She knew the feeling well, although Kat would never know how well, because Anne almost never cracked, especially not in front of her little cousin, who had already gone through so much and had so much to deal with. Anne’s problems? Insignificant. Anne sent her confusion and slight worry to Kat, basically asking her.  
‘Is it okay to trust Jane?’  
Kat sent back reassurance, with a little bit of panic left over, and the message was clear.  
‘She truly wants to help us...  
But don't let your guard down.’

Eventually the trio got to the front steps of the house, and Jane let them in, The first thing Anne noticed was the 3 people on the couch in the far room, each saying hello to Jane. Jane took off her shoes, Anne and Kat doing the same, and led them to the room, which Anne could now see was well-lit and comfortable, much better than the streets of London. 

Jane stepped aside so the other 3 in the room could see Kat and Anne. Jane said,  
“Guys this is… uh…”  
Jane blushed, clearly embarrassed she forgot to ask Kat and Anne’s names.  
“I’m Anne-”  
A person on the couch sighed and said,  
“Another one?”  
Jane shushed them as Kat shyly said,  
“I’m Katherine, but everyone calls me Kat.”  
The two others on the couch sighed and said  
“Another one?”  
Jane glared at the couch people before apologizing for them.  
“I’m very sorry for the blunt attitude, but this is Anna, Catherine, and Cathy,” she said, gesturing to each as she spoke. Cathy raised a hand, saying,  
“I use they/them pronouns. If you don’t understand, I’ll explain, but you better respect me.”  
Anne and Kat immediately nodded, grateful they were in a safe space, not one filled with hate. 

Kat, never wanting to feel like a burden, started talking, gaining just a little confidence in doing so.  
“I have a job at a little coffee shop, and I can help with what little I have. Anne also has an idea for a job, but…”  
Kat trailed off, and Anne knew she was worried about her dream of being a singer, which was starting off pretty slow, but Anne knew she could get some money through odd jobs here and there.  
“I can absolutely get money.” She said, grateful that these people would take her in. “It might take a couple weeks, but we can pay our bit.”

Cathy and Catherine exchanged a look that Anne couldn’t read. Anna then stood up, clearing her throat for attention.  
“Well, ladies, I think you should get some food and rest, alright? I’ll fix you some ramen.”  
Anna led Anne and Kat through to a small kitchenette, already busy with boiling some water. Anne made sure all her skin was covered before offering Kat a hug. Kat always loved hugs, but rarely got any because of her reluctance to touch others, which was understandable, given her past and powers. Thankfully, Kat was feeling okay enough to accept the hug, and Anne didn’t let go until Anna handed each girl a bowl of ramen, and even then, Anne kept a protective arm around Kat.  
\---------------------------------------  
Eventually, Jane came in and took the girls’ bowls and led them to a room.  
“We could only spare one, but-”  
“It’s perfect,” Anne said as Kat nodded in agreement. She knew they both preferred to share a room. That way, when the memories became too much for either cousin, a trustworthy girl was right by to help. 

They kept a blanket in between them, in case Kat started panicking again, because Anne did not want to wake up in the middle of the night screaming along with Kat. It would be horribly rude to their gracious hosts. They curled up, glad to be in a bed after sleeping on benches and pavement for weeks. Just before they fell asleep, they murmured “I love you”s to each other, and each went to sleep with a smile on their face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! maybe check me out on tumblr, @thatenglishmuff ? have a calming day!


	3. Seymour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aragon - can summon shields, - forte  
> Anne - shapeshifting- façade  
> Jane - can heal everyone except herself- stoneheart  
> Cleves - superspeed- snap   
> Katherine - can make people feel things and feel things others feel through skin contact  
> Parr - invisibility - eclipse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! figured id have a little fun with this chapter. enjoy!

In the morning, Jane woke up wondering why she was on the couch. Then she remembered Anna and Kat, homeless and, in Kat’s case, afraid. As she was getting up, she resolved to make life better for the pair, and made pancakes, plenty for everyone. As each person dragged themself out of bed, they sat down at the large table, and Jane watched as a conversation started between Anne, Cathy, Catherine, and Anna.

“I’m just saying there has to be some science or logic behind powers, magic just can’t be real,” Anne said, shoving another pancake into her mouth. Cathy replied,  
“Agreed, but the heros’ powers do exist, and since no testing has been done, we cannot conclusively decide whether science is a factor.”  
Anna rolled her eyes, saying,  
“We get it Cathy, you’re smart. Like, what’s that thing you always say about Eclipse?”  
Cathy’s eyes lit up as they stood up, as if this was an official statement.  
“Eclipse’s powers make no sense, because being invisible means being blind, because the eye, being transparent, is not able to bend light and form images, effectively being blind.”  
They sat down, satisfied.

Catherine shook her head endearingly before turning to Anne.  
“They say that everytime, thei - Eclipse’s powers are brought up.”  
Jane glanced at Anne to see if she would catch Catherine’s slip up, but there wasn’t any change on her face. Relieved, she turned to Kat, who had also been watching this debate, but also Anna, as if she knew her. 

Jane gently asked Kat,  
“How are you doing this morning, love?”  
Kat snapped her eyes to Jane and smiled, a bright smile that warmed Jane’s heart.  
“I am feeling loads better, and I want to thank you again-”  
Jane smiled back warmly and interrupted Kat’s apology.  
“No need to thank me. I just want to make sure everyone feels safe whenever I can.”  
They turned back to the conversation, which was about to get interesting.

“So, that new kid, Façade, huh. Thoughts on her?” Anne said, seemingly to keep the conversation going.  
Cathy choked on a pancake.  
Catherine looked like she was done with anything that had to do with Façade after one night of fighting with her.  
Anna had decided to play dumb.  
“Who’s Façade?”  
Anne, unfazed by the odd reactions, launched right into an explanation.  
“It’s all over the local news. Some shape-shifter who everyone and their mother is saying has beef with the Fab Four, or whatever they call themselves. Someone caught them fighting with Façade on video late last night, now everyone’s freaking out because they’ve never seen or heard of this kid until last night. Here, let me pull up an article”  
As Anne pulled up a news article about Façade, Jane and Catherine exchanged twin looks of  
‘This is not good.’

Anne, having found an apparently accurate article, showed a slightly blurry picture of Façade, in her dragon form, then another in human form.  
Anna pretended to take a closer look.  
“Wow, she looks young. She’s short.”  
Anne scoffed.  
“She’s not that short. Or maybe it’s a trick, to be more likeable.”  
Cathy replied dryly,  
“Yeah, because short people like you are so likeable.”  
Jane gave the disappointed look to Cathy.  
She heard Catherine mumble into her food as she was taking a bite,  
“Uh-oh, you got the disappointed look.”

Jane said,  
“Cathy, Anne is our guest! Please be nice! And Anne, by the way, I think you're likeable, and so is Kat. You’re both lovely guests.”  
Kat blushed, but Anne apparently had less humility.  
“Everyone likes me, why wouldn’t they? I’m fun and talented, so what’s not to love?”  
Jane laughed quietly, shaking her head and thinking,  
‘These two are quite the pair.’  
\------------------------------------------  
Eventually, patrol time came around again. Jane knew it would, but she had been having so much fun chatting with Kat and Anne and everyone else, it even turned out Kat and Anna had gone to the same dance school as kids, that she lost track of the time, and before any of them knew it, it was 6 o’clock. Jane was scrambling to find an excuse, but Catherine ended up being the savior.  
“It really has been lovely chatting with you all, but we have jobs as various night-shift workers. I clean at the fitness place across the street, Cathy makes bread for tomorrow at the bakery around the corner, and Jane and Anna are restockers at Tesco.”

Anna and Cathy gave sighs of relief, but not too noticeable. However, Anne was quick to poke holes in the coverup, and said,  
“I don’t want to be rude, but if you work late shifts, why were all of you home last night?”  
Jane rushed to say,  
“We get off early. They’re pretty short shifts.”  
Anne looked unconvinced, but didn’t press. 

Cathy got up to leave, no doubt turning invisible and doubling back the moment she was out of sight, while Anna excused herself to the ‘bathroom’. Jane and Catherine turned on the TV for Anne and Kat, and watched them argue and try to pick a good show to watch before escaping to the closet that everyone had stashed their super stuff in the night before.They quickly donned their costumes and snuck out of their own house, ready to face the night.

Everything was normal, but Jane couldn’t help but wonder what Façade would do tonight. After all, she did say, “Same time tomorrow night?” So, Jane wandered the street where they had fought Façade last night around 10 o’clock. Sure enough, Façade came along, in all her tiny green glory, ready for a fight.

“Stoneheart, challenging me alone?”  
Jane scoffed at Façade, saying,  
“I have everything I need to beat you already.”

The battle began, Jane swinging her sword, ready for a challenge. Façade shifted into a dragon, and Jane was beginning to think that was her favorite animal. She made a mental note to research easy ways to defeat dragons without killing them. But then, Façade chuckled and said,  
“You didn’t think I’d make it that easy on you, did you? It’s my second appearance, I gotta up the ante! Kitty Kat, darling?”

Jane looked to where Façade seemed to be talking to and was surprised to see Kat, tied up on the top of a building. Jane’s protective instincts roared and she snarled at Façade,  
“How. Dare. You. Kat - um, this citizen should not be brought into our fights.” Jane took a second to regain herself. If Façade was paying attention, she would know that Jane knew Kat already, but Façade, still in dragon form, seemed to be focused on Kat. Façade went to the top of the building where Kat was, shifting back to a human when she was at the top. She seemed to mutter a couple words to Kat before Kat was thrown off the building, still tied up.

Jane froze for a horrible second, unwilling to believe that Kat was falling, down, down, down. Luckily, a blur of red showed up at the last minute, saving Kat. Anna slowed down, knowing her speed was not meant for normal humans, and sat Kat down on a bench, worry written all over her face. Jane wanted to check on Kat, however, she had no choice but to turn her attention back to Façade.

With renewed anger, Jane started toward Façade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heh heh hope you liked it. maybe check me out on tumblr, @thatenglishmuff ? have a really nice day!


	4. anna banana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aragon - can summon shields, - forte  
> Anne - shapeshifting- façade  
> Jane - can heal everyone except herself- stoneheart  
> Cleves - superspeed- snap   
> Katherine - can make people feel things and feel things others feel through skin contact  
> Parr - invisibility - eclipse

Anna barely registered Jane fighting Façade, instead she was zeroing in on Kat, making sure her childhood dance friend was okay. After turning off her earpiece because she didn’t want any distractions, she realized Kat seemed to be almost in shock, simply staring at her shoes, not saying anything. Anna tried to undo the knots tying Kat up, and a couple seconds gave Kat free wrists and ankles. Anna got down on her knees and looked up at Kat, still taking extra caution to be gentle. 

“Hey Kat, can you talk to me?”  
At her name, Kat glanced up a little more surprise on her face, as if that were possible.  
“Snap… how do you know my name?”  
Anna inwardly cursed herself. She wasn’t supposed to know anything about Kat, especially not her name, and - focus, Anna.  
“You look like a Kat. Glad you’re talking though, that was quite the tumble you took there. How are you?”  
Kat looked like she still had questions, but answered, saying,  
“I’m alright. You caught me before I hit the pavement, so everything is intact!”  
She giggled, seemingly unaware of the fact that, if it had not been for Anna coming in at the last minute, she would have been killed. 

Anna furrowed her eyebrows in worry, a thought coming to her. If Kat was kidnapped, then Façade knows where Kat had been living, which is where Anna and the other heroes had been living. But nobody knows where their house was, except for the heroes, Kat and Anne. Oh, no.  
“Anne! She’s probably worried sick about you!”  
Kat looked as if the thought hadn’t occurred to her, saying,  
“Anne, of course! We have a rendez-vous point we always meet at, would you mind dropping me off there?”  
Anna, a little confused, just nodded, picking Kat back up.

Just as she was about to ask for directions, Anna heard Kat ask,  
“Wait, how do you know about Anne, too? Do I know you?”  
Anna sighed, debating internally on whether or not she should tell the truth. Kat asked again,  
“Snap? Do you know me?”

Anna decided to buy herself some time, and said,  
“I’ll explain later. Where’s that rendez-vous point?”  
Kat looked at Anna, really looked at her, which was probably hard through her mask that only showed her eyes and mouth. Kat then silently put her hand on Anna’s, which only perplexed Anna. After a second of confusion, Kat took her hand off and gave a small nod.

“We always meet at a park right around the corner. I’ll lead you to it.”  
Anna sped, but not too fast, in the direction Kat was pointing, all the while wondering what Kat had been doing. Kat had always been able to read emotions just by looking at someone’s face, but maybe there was something more to it. Maybe even powers? Anna pushed her thoughts and worries to the back of her mind as she reached the park, knowing she’d have to ditch Kat and help fight Façade.

That plan went out the window as Kat said,  
“You can set me down here. Now, who are you?”  
Anna knew that, in good conscience, she couldn’t just leave Kat with absolutely no answers. Making a split-second decision, she tore off her mask and just looked at Kat, watching the realization dawn on her face. 

“Anna? But-”  
Anna tugged her mask back on, wincing internally at her sudden idiocy, not saying a word. She turned and ran as fast as she could back to the fight with Façade, so she wouldn’t have to acknowledge the fact that she just made a horrible mistake. She knew no civilian could know about her secret identity, certainly not one that was living with her indefinitely. And the others. She turned on the earpiece just a block before she reached the plaza where Façade was being fought, bracing herself for the onslaught of words, but anything was better than dealing with her thoughts right now.

“Aaaaaand, now she’s a snake. Great. Eclipse, where are you?”  
“Right behind you, Forte. Hey, Stoneheart, in a second, could you get some healing on my side? I got a nasty gash going on.”  
“Sure thing, ‘clipse, hang in there. Have we heard anything from Snap yet? We could really use the help.”

Anna switched into battle mode, ready to fight her troubles away. She rounded the corner, saying,  
“I’m back, guys, just got a little caught up with Kat. What do you need?”  
Catherine was also in battle mode apparently, not focusing on the details. As she was trying to use her shields to contain a slithering Façade, she said,  
“Just placate Façade, I can… caught up with Kat? The one living with us with pink hair?”  
Anna really didn’t want to get into what just happened, so she just said,  
“Jane-um, Stoneheart, you didn’t tell them?”

Jane was putting her hands on Cathy, healing the aforementioned gash on their side, taking care not to peck her with her plague-reminsincent mask. She sighed, then said,  
“Poor Kat was kidnapped by Façade, then thrown off the building. Snap caught her and was taking her away when you guys arrived. I didn’t have time to say anything, so that’s why Snap wasn’t here for the beginning of the fight.”  
Cathy seemed satisfied with the explanation, although they could have just been relieved that they weren’t bleeding out anymore, but Catherine was furious. She successfully trapped Façade, still in snake form, then grabbed her by the neck, if snakes even had necks.

Catherine’s voice was dangerously soft.  
“Why would you drag an innocent civilian into a fight?”  
Anna heard Jane, with anger in her voice, say,  
“That’s what I said too, but she shrugged it off.”  
Anna turned back to Catherine holding a wriggling snake. Façade changed back to a human, and stopped struggling. She somehow had a free arm, but didn’t attack Catherine, only bopping her on the nose lightly, as if this were a game. That only infuriated Catherine, but Façade only giggled, almost maniacally, and said,  
“Please. That civilian agreed to be pushed off a building. Consent matters, sweetheart. I would never willingly put an innocent life in danger. You, on the other hand…”

Façade turned into a little mouse and scampered out of Catherine’s hand before going back to human form.  
“I’ll fight any day,” Façade said, finishing her sentence. She shook out some, what Anna assumed as battle jitters, and put up some fists, as if she wanted Catherine to brawl with her. Anna quickly intervened, pulling Façade’s hands behind her back before she could blink. Façade seemed to be surprised for only a second, but she just shifted into a bird and flew to the building that she had just pushed Kat off of.

“None of that, thank you! I gotta go check up on little ol’ civilian. By the way, Snap? Thanks for catching her. Tootles.”  
And with that, Façade was gone again, apparently going to check up on Kat.   
The heroes regrouped trying to figure out,  
“What the fresh fuck was that all about?”  
Catherine glared at Anna.  
“Language, please. Façade seems to be theatrical and ego-centric, so,”  
Cathy elbowed Anna in the ribs playfully, muttering,  
“A perfect match for you, then.”

Catherine went on, ignoring Anna’s mock offense and Cathy’s chuckles.  
“So, we need to get any information on her. She relies on being anonymous to tease us.”  
Anna raised her hand awkwardly, wanting to get this conversation over with.  
“Speaking of anonymous...ImayhavetoldKataboutmyidentityI’mreallysorry.”  
Jane said,  
“Slow down, Anna. You don’t need to be quick all the time.”

Anna took a deep breath, and said,  
“I accidentally slipped as I was carrying Kat to some rendez-vous point she has with Anne, and addressed her by name, even though she hadn’t told me her name yet. Also, I acknowledged that Anne will probably be really worried about her, so Kat was like, ‘How do you know about Anne and I?’ And then, she was giving me the innocent questioning look, and I may have taken off my mask so she would stop being worried, then sped away as fast as could so I wouldn’t have to see her reaction.”

Anna was surprised to see Catherine nodding slowly, but not at all surprised to see Cathy and Jane horrified. She decided to focus on the positive reaction and ask Catherine,  
“How bad is it?”  
Catherine said,  
“Bad. But we can work with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol hope yall liked it. hey, maybe check me out on tumblr, @thatenglishmuff ? have a peaceful day!


	5. kat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aragon - can summon shields, - forte  
> Anne - shapeshifting- façade  
> Jane - can heal everyone except herself- stoneheart  
> Cleves - superspeed- snap   
> Katherine - can make people feel things and feel things others feel through skin contact  
> Parr - invisibility - eclipse

Kat was sitting at the bench that had housed her and Anne for weeks, waiting for Anne to come around, mulling over Anna’s revelation. She felt betrayed, of course, but she understood the need for anonymity. Living with Anne, who always got herself in trouble with her powers, proved that. Lost in her thoughts, she barely registered Anne in bird form coming down to the bench at the speed of light. 

As soon as Anna shifted into her human form, she launched herself into Kat with a hug, almost teary, saying,   
“Kat, I’m so sorry! I should’ve never done that, I didn't know Stoneheart would freeze like that, if it hadn't been for Snap, I would’ve lost you and it would have been all my fault, all for some stupid stunt! I’m so sorry, why did I ask you to do that? I could’ve found some other way to make a point that didn't include throwing you off a building, like… I don’t know, but I’m so sorry! I could barely hold it together when I was fighting and stopped as quickly as I could! Are you okay?”  
Kat had been listening to Anne’s rambling and let her catch her breath before responding,  
“There’s no need to apologize, Annie. I’m the one who agreed to be thrown off a building, remember? You always made sure I wanted to, even asking me one more time while we were up there, which risked Stoneheart finding you out. You took every precaution you could, and I’m right here, aren’t I?”

Kat began playing with Anne’s hair, a habit she picked up because it calmed Anne down when she was stressed, and didn’t transmit emotions. Anne’s voice came after a badly repressed hiccup, quieter than Kat had heard it in a while.  
“You’re right. Just… the what-ifs are running through my head, and they won’t stop.”  
And with that, Anne started crying softly, clinging to Kat for dear life. Kat was glad she had long sleeves despite the sweet summer air, because Anne’s emotions combined with hers would result with 2 people crying on a bench.

Kat kept murmuring soft reassurances to Anne, just as Anne had when Kat’s emotions got the better of her. Eventually Anne’s hiccuping breaths evened out, but she didn’t let go of at one bit.  
Kat looked up at the stars for comfort. There was always something so calming about them, and dreaming of the above grounded her for some reason. The cousins sat like that for many minutes, both reveling in the fact that the other was there.

Soon though, Kat’s worries came back. She knew she’d have to tell Anne about Anna, and they’d have to come up with a story of how Façade ‘kidnapped’ Kat from the house, and how Anne found out about the ordeal. But for now, she decided on just the necessary.

“So, how did Façade,” she said, nudging Anne gently, “ever kidnap the hapless little Kat?”  
Anne slowly sat up, trying to wipe away the tear streaks from her face.  
“Well, I suppose she found her... going for a walk to get some fresh air?”  
Kat nodded, and Anne went on.  
“Then Façade,” she said the name with a small smirk, “convinced the kitten that it was all for a good cause, really, and she’d be completely safe.” Anne’s smirk fell as she finished the sentence, clearly not over Kat’s almost untimely death. 

To be honest, neither was Kat, but she knew Anne would never try anything like that again, so she held it together for Anne. Keep going with the cover story, she thought, to keep us both distracted. She said,  
“And when Anne, sitting alone at home, realized Kat wasn’t back from her walk, what did she do?”  
Anne thought for a moment, then said,  
“After I called you multiple times, I saw a livestream with you at the top of that building, and Façade was there, being oh so evil, you know how it goes. I screamed and shouted and got to the bench as fast as my little legs could go. Is that good?”

Kat made a show of thinking over Anne’s alibi. Twirling an imaginary mustache, and trying not to laugh along with Anne, she said,  
“I believe that will be acceptable, Miss Boleyn. I do think - wait,” she paused, trying to make out the figures approaching them in the dark.   
“I think the heroes are coming, probably to check on me. Stick with the story.”

Anne held Kat tighter, almost squeezing her out of her wits, but Kat kept her composure, her eyes fixed on a sign in the distance. From her peripheral vision she saw Snap- no, Anna, pull ahead of the group, almost out of anxiousness, then wait awkwardly for everyone else to catch up. The heroes walked up, trying to be casual but failing as their nerves betrayed them, and immediately Kat could tell they were concerned. She didn’t even have to touch them to tell that they were worried for her, and even a little ashamed that Kat could’ve gotten hurt.

Forte spoke first, it always seemed she was the leader of the group.  
“Hey, uh, civilian. Are you alright? You fell quite a bit there, and we wanted to make sure you were feeling okay.”  
Kat, as much as she wanted everyone, even Anne, to leave her alone and deal with everything privately, knew they were only trying to help.  
“I’m doing fine, Snap caught me. It’s Anne, my cousin, you might want to worry about.”  
She gestured to Anne, still hugging her protectively.

Stoneheart cleared her throat, which sounded weird because she was in a suit of armor and large mask, then said,   
“Your cousin, Anne was it?"  
Stoneheart crouched down a little to be more eye-to-eye with Anne.  
"Almost losing a loved one is a mortifying ordeal, how are you faring?”  
Anne, without looking up, muttered,  
"I'm fine now that I have Kat."  
\--------------------------------------------------------  
Anne was walking Kat back to the house, after refusing accompaniment from any of the heroes, who asked many times. Anne was careful to avoid skin contact, but was clinging onto Kat almost like a monkey. Kat was surprised Anne hadn't actually turned into a monkey, just to keep her safe. 

As they reached the house, Kat mentally prepared herself for the barrage of questions and worries from their roommates? Housemates? Friends? Whatever they were, they would be concerned, which Kat completely understood, but she needed a rest. She opened the door, glad she had been trusted with the key because Anne would lose it in a heartbeat, and stepped inside.

Surprisingly, only Cathy and Catherine were on the couch, which was honestly kind of relieving, because Kat absolutely did not want to face Anna right now. They both stood up when they saw Kat and Anne enter the living room, and, though they didn’t move, started talking a mile a minute, something like,  
“I saw what happened, are you okay? I told Jane we should check up, but she said let her come home when she's ready-”  
“Truly horrible thing, how are you? I know I wouldn’t be doing at all great, I can make you a drink, anything you want, provided we have it, and-”

Kat barely registered the words being thrown at her and simply moved to sit down on a lone chair opposite the couch, forcing Anne to sit on the armrest haphazardly. Cathy and Catherine stopped talking, sensing Kat’s tiredness. Glad everyone seemed to be calming down, Kat said,  
“I really appreciate your concern, really. But I want to go to sleep for about 20 hours, is that okay?”   
Everyone in the room nodded, and Kat was ready to close the door and let her cauldron of emotions out via tears.

She walked to the room she and Anne shared, preparing herself to fight with Anne over the room, because all she really needed was some time to process her thoughts. They stepped into the room, which somehow had clean, neat bedsheets, though Kat had no idea who did it, she didn’t care. She flopped onto the bed, tears already forming, and waiting for Anne to come and lay on top of her. However, Anne was nowhere to be found, which was odd, considering her overprotectiveness. Figuring Anne went to the bathroom, it had been a long night after all, Kat buried her face into her pillow, letting the pillowcase soak up her tears because what had happened over the past couple hours had just really sunk in.

Everytime Kat heard a noise, she’d flop over, not facing the door, just in case someone heard her and wanted to help her. She knew talking to others was a good course of action after experiencing trauma, rest assured, she knew. But she did not want to face a living creature until the sun rose up 90 degrees in the sky tomorrow. It was odd really, crying over something that just happened, not something that happened when she was younger. It was honestly kind of nice. Eventually Kat’s tears stopped, replacing her overflowing brain with emptiness. She sighed, thinking,   
‘I have to stop ending my nights like this.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not much happenin, just sad. maybe check me out on tumble, @that englishmuff ? have a marvelous day!


	6. cathy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aragon - can summon shields, - forte  
> Anne - shapeshifting- façade  
> Jane - can heal everyone except herself- stoneheart  
> Cleves - superspeed- snap   
> Katherine - can make people feel things and feel things others feel through skin contact  
> Parr - invisibility - eclipse

Cathy really tried their best to ignore the soft sobs coming from the room that Kat and Anne now shared. They really tried, even using the nice noise-canceling headphones Catherine had got them for writing, but the guilt was still there. Kat was still all alone in the room, they knew   
because Anne wanted to give Kat space after such a horrific evening. It was honestly quite a spectacle watching Jane, who came in after she heard Kat go into her old room, beg Anne to sleep on the couch, and not the old recliner, because the couch is, “so much comfier, please take it.” 

Poor Anne was still in a tizzy about the whole thing, and Cathy suspected she blamed herself for the whole thing, a whole ‘not being able to protect Kat’ type of thing, which to be honest, they completely understood. They shuddered to think of the misplaced loaded gun when that robbery down the street took place, or the one person with a knife threatening the teller at the bank, then took it too far. So many people Cathy could’ve saved, but simply was too far away, or froze. A person like Kat, who easily could have been killed. So yeah, Cathy knew exactly how Anne felt, though they could never tell her. 

And, they thought, writing long forgotten, if they got their hands on Façade again? She would pay dearly, Cathy would take side blow after side blow, just like the one they took today, so Kat would be safe.

And then there was the issue of Anna. How idiotic could someone be? The first rule of being a hero is that you can’t tell anyone else your identity. No matter how much Anna protested that Kat wsa giving the innocent puppy dog eyes, a hero’s will must be strong. To be fair though, in the short time they’d known Kat, she could ask a butcher for bacon and he’d be so taken back by the innocence, he’d give 5 pounds of it to her for free.

They were completely lost in their thoughts, not realizing Anna shuffling into their bedroom. Cathy saw Anna awkwardly sit at the edge of their bed from the corner of their eye, and got startled. They removed their noise-canceling headphones, welcoming the faint buzz and the creaks of the house as they turned their attention onto Anna.

“What’s up, Banana?”  
They asked this in the gentlest way possible, and Anna smiled slightly, so Cathy figured they had read Anna’s expression right.  
“Just… can’t sleep. Can you read to me?”

It was something everyone in the house did when they couldn’t sleep. Cathy was usually up all hours writing, disregarding their personal needs, so it was a win-win, really. Every once in a while, someone couldn’t sleep, so they would come to Cathy, who would read from either a story they wrote or a book in the house. The person in need would calm down and go to sleep, and, typically, so would Cathy. And right now, it was clear both parties needed to calm down.

Cathy closed their laptop, double-checking that it saved, then took the book Anna offered them. The Catcher in the Rye. A perfectly mind-numbing tale, just what the doctor ordered. Cathy grabbed their big pillow, given to them from a fan a couple years back, and watched Anna pull up some of the many blankets Cathy kept on their bed.

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me…”  
\-----------------------------------------------  
Cathy woke up in an awkward position, their neck sore from looking down all night. Anna was still curled up, surrounded by blankets, snoring softly. Cathy got up, slowly, so they wouldn't wake up Anna, and crept to the main room, ready for coffee. Usually Jane and Catherine were up early, so it surprised Cathy to see the main room empty, save for a sleeping Jane and Anne, on the couch and chair respectively. 

Cathy checked their watch, surprised to see it was around 5 in the morning. They never got up this early. They decided to make some coffee real quick, then work on writing, and avoid the drama that was sure to come today.

As they were making coffee, Cathy heard Anne stir from the chair, and watched Anne’s face go from confused to sad to a smile, as if the past night had never happened. Anne seemed to smell the coffee and perked up some more, and tip-toed to the kitchen. When she had reached the coffee maker she opened a cabinet almost like she had always lived here, and whispered,  
“Yo, when the coffee's done, can you pour me some?”

Cathy nodded and Anne walked to the bathroom, staring at the toothpaste. Maybe she’s not as awake as she appears, Cathy thought. After a minute or two, the coffee was ready, so Cathy poured themself a nice cup, poured a single packet of sugar into it, then filled Anne’s cup, leaving out the sugar packets, just in case.

Anne emerged from the bathroom in a new, clean outfit and Cathy was honestly shocked at the quick change. Anne saw Cathy’s confused stare and said,  
“I used to work with kids, so I got used to doing things really fast.”  
Anne took her coffee, took 3 packets of sugar then asked,  
“Y’all got any milk?”  
Cathy nodded, then went to the fridge. As they handed the milk to Anne, they asked,  
“Where’d you get that outfit? Looks cute.”

Anne froze, which Cathy hadn’t been expecting. After a moment, Anne said,  
“Aunt made it. One of a kind.”  
It truly was, from the flannel as a jacket surrounding the green dotted dress to the sparkly leggings connecting to dragon fuzzy socks, completed with a small whistle around her neck.  
Anne said,  
“Cute and cozy.”

Cathy watched Anne sip her coffee, then make a ‘blegh’ face. As Anne added another packet of sugar to her coffee, Cathy said,  
“You used to work with kids, huh? That sounds about right, having known you for about 24 hours.”  
Anne giggled, causing Jane to stir on the couch. Cathy decided to take the conversation elsewhere, just so they wouldn’t wake anyone up.

After a Mission Impossible-worthy sneak out, Anne and Cathy sat on the steps to the house, chatting. Apparently, Anne was the manager for the kids ministry back in her and Kat’s hometown church, and many fun stories came from that.

“One Sunday, I was with my favorite kids, the Liu twins. Of course, we’re not supposed to have favorites, but… they’re so cute! So I’m with Emmie and Blake Liu when out of nowhere, this grandfather comes in, all like, ‘Hey, I’m here to help out today!’ Now I got Emmie and Blake both on my back, Preston is crying in the corner, and grandpa over there is trying his best, really, but he can’t find the blankets for Lila anywhere. So what do we do? We have a dance party!”

Cathy was laughing along with Anne as she recounted angry parents and crazy children. Before long, the sun rose over the house in front of them, effectively blinding them. They decided to go inside before the sun got any more annoying. Sneaking back in, they were relieved to see Jane and Catherine, Jane only half-awake, in the kitchen, making eggs. 

Jane was the first to see them walking in, and said,  
“Where were you two? I woke up,” she yawned, “and you weren’t there, then Catherine said you,” she lazily pointed to Cathy, ”weren’t in your room, and then,” she yawned again, “I got worried.”  
Cathy grinned and said,  
“Obviously not that worried. You’d be wide awake if you were. What’s the worst that could’ve happened anyway?”

Catherine set some scrambled eggs onto a plate, saying,  
“The worst I can think is Façade kidnapping you.”  
Everyone turned to Catherine, who was now nonchalantly pouring herself some orange juice. She looked up to see everyone staring at her and said,  
“What? We know she knows the location of our house, because she had to get Kat from somewhere, and she’s already got one. Who’s to say she won’t do it again?”

Jane was wide awake now, faced with the possibility that any one of her friends could have been taken away. Cathy was glaring at Catherine now, because now Anne was worked up.  
Anne snarled at no one in particular,  
“Façade will not come here again. I’ll make sure of that.”  
And with that, she stomped off to Kat’s room, but not loudly, so Kat wouldn’t be awoken.

Jane decided to bring up the obvious and said,  
“Catherine, you should know better than to bring up Façade around Anne. Please try to have some courtesy.”  
Catherine at least had the decency to look ashamed, though it was small.   
\------------------------------------  
Eventually, Anna came for breakfast. Originally, Catherine wanted to wait for Anne and Kat, but when it was clear they would be having some cousin-to-cousin time, they dug right in. In whispering voices, they began to discuss Façade and what to do.

“Anna should be taken off patrol for at least tonight.”  
“Catherine, whyyy? I can still fight, I can still be useful!”  
“Yes dear, but until you figure out what to do with Kat, Catherine and I agreed, no more patrol for you.”  
“Isn’t that a little unfair for Anna? It was a moment of bad judgement, so what? She can still do things, she can resolve the tension with Kat today, right?”  
“Yes Cathy, but not tonight. Anna is going to stay here and watch over Kat.”

Anne and Kat emerged from their room, evidently hungry.  
Catherine whispered, “That’s that,” then stood up to get the new arrivals some food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that children's ministry is a true story, but names are changed. workin with kids is never dull! there's more coming, im almost done with cathy's part of the next book? section? i dunno what you call these things. anyways, hope you enjoyed, and have a joyous day!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! hey, maybe check me out on tumblr, @thatenglishmuff ? have a splendid day!


End file.
